Tartaros

Biography

In every artistic field, there are innovators and imitators, followers and leaders, wolves and sheep, and jewels that rise above the rubble of unevenness. For six magical years, Charmand Grimloch (the bizarre madman that was responsible for Tartaros and The Thrill) achieved a reputation as one of Black Metal's most talented and far-sighted leaders, and he was certainly a forger in the ground of psychedelic Black Metal. Time and time again, he fearlessly travelled deep into previously uncharted musical waters, and returned to give the genre something unmarked.

Since 1993, he expressed his strange musical experiences through a series of recordings. His first demo, "The Heritage From the Past", was not even supposed to be distributed, but its radiance was undeniable, so it was released in a limited edition of 500 copies to an awestruck underground. As Tartaros was never a band in the traditional sense, it has rather existed as an outlet for the darkly creative works of one man: himself.

During the latter part of 1995, Charmand Grimloch signed a multi-album deal with Necropolis Records. The label released the debut Mini-CD, "The Grand Psychotic Castle", in 1997, and it proved to be a musical labyrinth of eerie soundscapes that conjured bizarre images of terrifying beauty and chilling atmospheres. The Mini-CD went on to receive critical compliments in the international underground, and established Tartaros as a most important strength in Black Metal. It was during this time that countrymen Emperor recognized the brilliance in his music and recruited him as their touring keyboardist.

While the industry was taken aback by the amazing synthesizer introduction of the Mini-CD, he came up with the terrifying and eerie musical conception known as The Thrill, which previewed a track on the re-released "The Grand Psychotic Castle"'s Digipack-CD in 1999. It was also during this year that Charmand Grimloch entered his own studio, S.M.I., for the recording of his last masterwork entitled "The Red Jewel". Being a powerful extension of his brilliance, the album showcased even more of his prowess on the keyboards, all the while layered with his trademark psychedelic dreadfulness that accented his work.

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